FISHING TACKLE REVIEWS

LURE RODS

(scroll down for further review categories)

Below are the most recent lure rod reviews from my blog. Please scroll down the page to find the latest spinning reels and all other fishing tackle reviews. If you are looking for more or very specific reviews then either go to the Fishing Tackle page and follow the links from the numerous items of fishing tackle, or use search box below.

 
Featured
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Savage Gear Tactical Medium Game 8’3’’ (2.51m) 7-25g and 8’10’’ (2.69m) 10-30g lure rods review - £84.99 each, how good are these things?
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Favorite Skyline 902MH 9' 12-35g (£289.99) and Skyline 902H 9' 26-56g (£309.99) lure rod reviews - this amazing Ukrainian company does it again
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Favorite Skyline '25 862M 8'6'' 8-24g and 862ML 8'6'' 5-18g lure rods review - around £270 (but there is 15% off everything at Veals Mail Order for a few days!)
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Favorite Black Swan 772ML 7'7'' (2.31m) 4-18g lure rod review - £259.99 in the UK, weighs almost nothing at 84g
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Review - the three 9’ Favorite Black Swan rods - 902M 6-24g (£280), 902MH 10-36g (£290), 902H 16-56g (£320)
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Westin W2 SBass 9' 9-35g lure rod rod review - at £94.99, another very interesting sub-£100 rod
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Sakura Ryokan 902MH 9' 9-35g lure rod review - under £100
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Sakura Iconic RS “Distance Finesse” 802ML+ 8' 5-15g (but easily fishes 25g) lure rod review - around £275 in the UK
Our brand new Savage Gear Defiance SG8 and Defiance SG4 lure rods are on the market
Our brand new Savage Gear Defiance SG8 and Defiance SG4 lure rods are on the market
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Favorite Totem 842M 8'4'' 6-24g lure rod review - £159.99 (remarkably close to the incredible Favorite Black Swan 8’5’’ 6-24g rod)
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Favorite Totem 842MH 8’4’’ 12-36g lure rod review - £159.99 (SO close to the £269.99 Favorite Black Swan 8'5'' 10-36g)
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Major Craft Seabass Custom Marc Cowling Edition 88ML 8'8'' 6-32g lure rod review - £479.99 (£408 at Veals for the rest of this week)
Favorite X1.1 902MH 9' 12-36g lure rod review - a rather incredible £89.99
Favorite X1.1 902MH 9' 12-36g lure rod review - a rather incredible £89.99
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APIA Foojin'RS Art Magic 90ML+ (UK Custom) 9' 5-36g lure rod review - £399.99 UK price
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Favorite Black Swan 852MH 8'5'' 10-36g lure rod review - £269.99 - ridiculous amount of rod for the money, wand!
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Favorite Black Swan 852H 8'5'' 16-56g lure rod review - £289.99 (the rating doesn’t tell the story at all, this thing is ridiculously versatile)
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Favorite Black Swan 852M 8'5'' 6-24g lure rod review - £259.99 (at 97g I am sure this is the lightest lure rod I have used for bass fishing)
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Savage Gear SGS6 (Long Casting) 9’6’’ 10-35g lure rod review - wasn’t going to review this rod but it’s on sale at an amazing £99.99
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Savage Gear SGS5 9’ 12-46g 2-piece and 4-piece lure rod review - under £150
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Penn Overseas II Inshore 9'10'' 30-60g 4-piece lure rod - under £100 (plus it comes with a hard tube that fits in a typical holdall)
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Tailwalk Crimson S88H-F 8’8’’ Max 50g lure rod review - around £290 here in the UK
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Savage Gear SGS5 10’ 12-46g lure rod review (it’s a cannon!) - as of October 2023 I can find it for well under £150 in the UK
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APIA Foojin'RS Lynx 93M 9'3'' 6-42g lure rod review - £389.99 in the UK
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Penn Conflict Elite 9’6’’ 6-32g lure rod review - around £320 here in the UK
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APIA Foojin’RS Springer 88ML 3-32g lure rod review - £379.99 in the UK
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Penn Conflict Elite 8’ (2.44m) 6-32g lure rod review - just north of £300 here in the UK
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Savage Gear SGS6 9’ 7-35g ML lure rod review (APIA made me do it) - around £200 in the UK
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Major Craft Flatrek 5G FR5-1002M 10' 7-45g lure rod review - around £300 here in the UK
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Penn Conflict Elite 9’6’’ 8-45g lure rod review - £300+ here in the UK
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APIA Foojin’RS Sky High 99M 9’9’’ 8-42g lure rod review - around £400 in the UK

BRAID, LEADERS, HOOKS, JIG HEADS, LURES, BAGS, CLOTHING, VARIOUS ACCESSORIES ETC.

Below are a bunch of more general reviews from my blog. Please scroll further down the page to find the latest spinning reel reviews.

Featured
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Rock Grippa (wading) boots review - might look a bit daft, but they are grippy as hell, very good, and cheap at only £40
Really liking these little Seadra Mini Speed lure clips for the lighter stuff
Really liking these little Seadra Mini Speed lure clips for the lighter stuff
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A decent solution to the need for polarised sunnies when you wear varifocal glasses like I do? Your resident style guru I am not!
Westin W4 Super Finesse (lure) bag review - around £65 (I’ve given up trying to get another HPA Chest Pack, can’t find them anywhere)
Westin W4 Super Finesse (lure) bag review - around £65 (I’ve given up trying to get another HPA Chest Pack, can’t find them anywhere)
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Grundens Full Share waterproof jacket (£120) and Grundens Transmit X waterproof jacket (£180) review
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I am really starting to like this Berkley X9 braid, but the labelling is so confusing it can easily put you off using it
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It might be “just a hook”, but this brilliant Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp L12 Weedless hook with moulded keeper is so good for TPE soft plastics especially
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Sakura Sensibraid 12 braid review - around £40 for a 150m spool, this is a high-end mainline
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Retrying the first 8-strand braid I fished with (Varivas Avani Sea Bass Max Power PE X8) to see if it’s as good as I remember
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BKK Fast Snap-41 lure clip review - a bit more expensive than the regular paperclip style lure clips, rather nice though
BKK Titan Rider and Titan Diver weedless hooks review - not particularly cheap, but they are rather good
BKK Titan Rider and Titan Diver weedless hooks review - not particularly cheap, but they are rather good
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I had almost forgotten how much I like this YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon leader, but has anybody got a clever way to decant it onto smaller spools?
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Some handy lure boxes for the smaller stuff - IMA Lurecase 3010 and the HTO Double Latch Box 20.5cm, both under £10
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Fenix HM65R ShadowMaster headlamp review - around £100 in the UK
Daiwa J-Braid Expedition X8 braid review - around £38 for a 150m spool or £60 for a 300m spool
Daiwa J-Braid Expedition X8 braid review - around £38 for a 150m spool or £60 for a 300m spool
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Savage Gear WP Performance Jacket review - around £150
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Sufix Advance fluorocarbon leader review, plus some general stuff about fluoro
Toit Fishing 7 inch scissors review (yep, I am reviewing a pair of scissors because they are so damn good) - £26.99 in the UK
Toit Fishing 7 inch scissors review (yep, I am reviewing a pair of scissors because they are so damn good) - £26.99 in the UK
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Initial impressions - Gosen Answer Casting PE X16 braid (pretty sure this is the most expensive braid I have tried)
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Anglers Only Performance Fishing Shirts - reviews and info, various prices for different tops, great value for money
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Gosen Roots PEx8 braid review - £23.99 for a 150m spool
Gotta love how the Japanese have had a think about the cheb weight system, then came up with this - Decoy Switch Head
Gotta love how the Japanese have had a think about the cheb weight system, then came up with this - Decoy Switch Head
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SuRPpa lure cases - an interesting way to carry your lures, £9.99 for ten of them
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I have used the Best-Grip boot studs for years now, and I reckon these specific ones are the best for most boots
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Sufix 91 braid review - around £27 for a 150m spool or £50 for a 300m spool
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RBB Surf Supporter II lure bag review - around £95 here in the UK
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Bestard Wildwater Pro (wading) boots - a slightly cheaper alternative to the outstanding Bestard SA Pro Water Rescue (wading) boots
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An interesting way to carry your lures, going to give this RBB Supporter II thing a bit of a go (initial impressions)
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Nitecore NU33 headlamp review (a bit bigger and more powerful than the tiny and perfect Nitecore NU25) - around £50 here in the UK
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New Savage Gear Surf Walker 2.0 surface lures info/review - all under £12, my growing obsession (ignore if my working with Savage Gear bothers you)

SPINNING REELS

Below are the most recent spinning reels reviews from my blog. Please scroll down the page to find the latest spinning reels and all other fishing tackle reviews. If you are looking for more or very specific reviews then either go to the Fishing Tackle page and follow the links from the numerous items of fishing tackle, or use search box below.